Professor Selina Todd argues that you can be taught to write well, as demonstrated by American and Australian university students. Plus letters from Christopher Dodd and Anthony OrmsonIan Jack’s wariness towards writing manuals and classes is a peculiarly British response to teaching this craft (So you want to write better sentences than Jane Austen?, 27 May. While visiting Australian universities a few years ago, I was pleasantly surprised by the fluency and clarity of the (history) students’ prose. It turned out they were taught to write – not by rote learning grammar, which is the only form of pedagogy recognised by the current British government, but in lively writing workshops that encouraged them to believe that anyone, given time and hard work, could write well. Conversations with American colleagues revealed a similar mindset and introduced me to the American writer William Zinsser, whose book On Writing Well I recommend to all my students. Zinsser’s democratic premise is that good writing is the result of hard work, not innate “talent”. That’s a radical realisation for many British students, brought up with the gentlemanly myth that talent is hereditary, effortless and looks a lot like a public schoolboy.It is no coincidence that Zinsser spent part of his career at the New School in New York, the self-declared “comprehensive university”. In Britain, the adult education movement, including the Workers’ Educational Association, and the Open University, has... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2017-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo removed self-published pornographic titles from their sites and Kobo stopped sales of self-published titles altogether. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It was just more than a year ago that Ev Williams and Biz Stone created the publishing platform Medium. The Internet officially met the site in August 2012, and since then, Medium’s popularity has grown enough for even the most ske ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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If there a theme emerged from the deal-making at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, it was the dominance of HarperCollins as a buyer of big books, and of William Morris Endeavor as the seller of those books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The popular Tools of Change is no more, but in its place a more intimate digital conference--CONTEC--kicked off what Frankfurt v-p of conferences and entertainment & media Holger Volland said was going to be “a good mood” Frankfurt Book Fair. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Thriller writer David Baldacci is to publish fantasy novel The Finisher with Pan Macmillan... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new study finds that reading literary fiction “leads people to perform better on tests that measure empathy, social perception and emotional intelligence." Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The National Book Awards in recent years has been working to raise its profile and increase books' cultural impact. Now it's taking another step toward extending its reach. The National Book Foundation, which administers the prizes, will announce Monday that the 2013 awards ceremony and benefit... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2013-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A recent study done by New York's New School for Social Research found that, after reading literary fiction, participants displayed more social perception and empathy. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-10-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Uncertainty is one big obstacle holding publishers back from outsourcing their distribution, observes CEO Gareth Cuddy of ePubDirect. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-10-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In March of this year, following a wonderful day of programming at TOC Bologna, I sat at dinner with a few of our speakers from the day—my friend and CONTEC Frankfurt speaker Paul Rhodes included—and the conversations at that table were simply absorbing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-10-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The San Diego Reader is mining gold from its rich archives and releasing the treasures as a collection of six eBooks, the first installment of a series that will showcase the literary quality and historic value of a collection spanning more than 40 y ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paper making a Book? That would follow logic. But the Paper we're referring to here is actually an iPad sketchbook app and the book? Why, that'd be a product of Moleskine. An update released today to Paper's popular app adds a new 'Make a Book' service which allows users to self-publish their... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-10-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Irish writer William Trevor has been named winner of the inaugural Charleston & Chichester... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Roberta Pereira and Brisa Trinchero love working as Broadway producers and relaxing with a good book. But one night over drinks at Sardi's, the duo wondered why there weren't any good Broadway reads. A few cocktails later, they decided to start a Broadway-themed publishing firm, and Dress Circle... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2013-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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There are few things more heartbreaking for an editor than turning the lights off on a publication. Unfortunately, today marks the second time I've had to perform that unrewarding task. And while I plan to make good on my promise to take what we've learned here at Distro and transfer it to... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst is likely to call its forthcoming Dr. Mehmet Oz magazine "The Good Life," according to two people familiar with the matter. The title will likely also include the celebrity physician's name, though it's unclear precisely how that will be presented.A Hearst spokeswoman declined to... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2013-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The tech community seems especially impressed by a feature called Mayday, which calls up an Amazon tech support employee via video chat to help with tablet issues. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Poet Alice Oswald has won the third £25,000 Warwick Prize for Writing. It is the first time... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In the new book retail environment, bigger, in many cases, is not better. Having the right-sized store for a community and stocking the appropriate inventory, even if that means adding nonbook items, are keys to success today. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Each year in October, TD Bank Group adds glamour to the Canadian children’s literature scene, sponsoring the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards gala in Toronto and a parallel event in Montreal for literature in French, including the premiere prizes of C$30,000 for the most distinguished... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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